Thousands of protesters in Kenya stormed the parliament building, setting part of it on fire, in a demonstration against a new finance bill. The unrest, the most direct assault on the government in decades, resulted in five deaths and over 30 injuries after police opened fire on the crowd.
The first session of India’s 18th Lok Sabha begins today with the oath-taking ceremony for newly elected members, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The session is expected to be eventful, with the opposition INDIA bloc planning to target the NDA government on issues like rising prices and exam irregularities. The session will also see the election of the Lok Sabha Speaker and a presidential address.
South Africa’s parliament will convene on Friday to elect a new president, despite no ruling coalition emerging from the hung mandate election. The ANC, which lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since the end of apartheid, is in talks with other parties to form a government, but negotiations have stalled. The EFF has rejected a unity government proposal, while the MK has challenged the election results. President Ramaphosa has urged parties to work together, but the MK has said it will not support the ANC if he remains in power.
A Taiwanese lawmaker’s unconventional protest against proposed parliamentary reforms has sent shockwaves through the legislature. On Friday, a member of parliament grabbed a bill and fled with it, preventing its passage. The incident sparked a chaotic melee, with lawmakers shoving, tackling, and pinning each other down. The brawl, captured on social media, has drawn satirical reactions from netizens, with some suggesting that the culprits should simply be emailed a copy of the bill.
A far-right Greek MP, Konstantinos Floros, was arrested after allegedly punching and headlocking another MP, Vassilis Grammenos, during a parliamentary debate. Floros, who is now an independent, was ordered to be handed over to the police by Parliament Speaker Constantinos Tasoulas and faces criminal charges. The incident occurred during a debate on the immunity of Kyriakos Velopoulos, the president of the nationalist Greek Solution Party, who is being sued for defamation. Floros allegedly shouted “shut up, you trash!” to Grammenos after he was not allowed to speak, leading to the physical altercation. Grammenos was taken to the parliament’s medical clinic, and Floros was expelled from parliament for 15 days.
Dame Esther Rantzen, an 83-year-old campaigner and veteran broadcaster, has withdrawn from attending a Westminster debate on assisted dying due to illness. She is currently battling stage four lung cancer and has expressed the possibility of traveling to Switzerland for an assisted death. The debate, scheduled for April 29, will explore a topic that is highly relevant to constituents nationwide. Dame Esther emphasized that while she is unable to attend, she will closely follow the proceedings as it pertains to her personal decision regarding seeking assisted dying at Dignitas in Zurich. This decision was motivated by her desire to shield her family from witnessing a painful demise. The debate on assisted dying marks the first of its kind in almost two years, prompted by a petition backed by Dame Esther, Dignity in Dying, and the Daily Express, which garnered over 200,000 signatures.
Rishi Sunak’s controversial plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda has finally been approved by Parliament. The Rwanda Bill passed the House of Commons early Monday morning after months of debate and political wrangling. Despite missing his initial deadline, the Prime Minister anticipates flights to begin within the next 10 to 12 weeks.
The UK government’s plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda has been approved by Parliament after peers dropped an amendment requiring an independent monitoring committee to declare Rwanda a safe country before sending people there. The government has stated that flights to Rwanda are scheduled to begin in July.
Rishi Sunak’s controversial Rwanda asylum bill faces a final showdown in Parliament on Monday, April 22. The House of Lords and House of Commons are expected to sit late to pass the legislation, which aims to overcome objections from the Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights.
